The primary question many of us (in our circle of people) are struggling with these days is how do we maintain sanity while facing the climate crisis and mass extinction head on?

ACTION. Seriously. It doesn’t matter whether our own reductions in consumption have an impact or not…we do it, because it feels right to us and helps us navigate our grief at the state of the planet and the existential threat to human civilization. Action removes a sense of powerlessness.

As an aside, we both try to live more of a hope-free existence. This means we avoid most of the dramatic energy sucking swings between hopeful and hopeless. We are losing attachment to immediate results in the bigger picture. What we actually get is a lot more resilience,,,meaning that we are more prepared physically and mentally for local and global impacts. Radical acceptance…not easy.

Changing our cultural story, reducing our dependency on systems of harm (otherwise known as rape and pillage), and walking our talk fuels our activism in our community and at the council table. Walking ones talk gives credibility.

SO…WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE for two people that already live in a MUD house, compost all of our waste, collect rain water, grow 100% of our fruits and veggies year round, don’t fly, power our home with solar, sit as municipal politicians, wrote a book on compost toilets (buy here), design rain water systems, give workshops, and operate a permaculture perennial edible plant nursery??? Read on…

We are further motivated by the following:

The recent IPCC report that states we have about 10 years to reduce emissions by about 50%, then 100% by 2050, AND massive carbon sequestration and ecological restoration required.

We listened to these podcasts over the holidays. CBC Radio 2050: Degrees of Change. This podcast is based on impacts we can expect in BC in the year 2050 based on a middle of the road climate scenario (rcp 4.5) assuming we take meaningful action, but no where near the business as usual climate scenario (rcp 8.5).

Here’s our shared carbon footprint for 2018 (3.93 each).

Here’s our list of items for us to do for 2019:

PROPANE: Last year we used 380 litres of propane for cooking. This is 0.58 tonnes of CO2. Our goal is to reduce this by 50%. We purchased an electric instant pot for $90 that can pressure cook beans, lentils, peas, and all kinds of stews very quickly. This means we can use the oven a LOT less. When we do use the oven we will make sure we cook a few things all at once. We are also going to get an electric insulated kettle for boiling water.

IMPORTED FOOD: We are going to buy less imported food. Coffee: For starters we are going to wean ourselves off of coffee (we have purchased only fair trade, organic…but still). Coffee travels too far, displaces nature, and ours comes in those plastic packages or other high impact packages. Coconut oil: We are going to use rendered pig fat from a local permaculture farm…maybe some day we will have our own pig.

DAIRY: Our local goat milk supply is almost dried up (only 1-2 litres per week). Gord has been drinking LOTS of organic cow store milk…almost 6 litres a week. That’s a LOT of plastic jugs and milk. Gord said he wants to dramatically reduce his milk consumption. We do hope to get more goats milk later this spring when production goes up. We eat very little cheese these days, but do hope to make a bit when we get more local goat’s milk.

TRANSPORTATION: Our two vehicles (the old farm truck and the diesel Smart car), emit 3.46 tonnes of CO2e….and we drive less than most people. YIKES!!!!! We have begun the process to find a way to get into an EV. One vehicle, probably a used leaf….but we will see.

TEXTILES: No more fleece. Moving towards natural fibres. (wool, cotton, hemp). I was just gifted a few really nice long wool skirts from my neighbour. We recently installed a micro plastic filter on our washing machine…this helps to collect the most of the micro plastic from entering our landscape via our grey water system. (Company in Nova Scotia sells a stainless steel mesh filter…easy to clean and install. Nothing disposable. Awesome company…you can order on line and then pay (mail a cheque) after you get it. Company based on trust. The filter isn’t perfect, but catches most. ENVIRONMENTALENHANCEMENTS.COM

HOME HEATING AND HOT WATER: We use wood (in a wood gasifier), solar thermal, and solar PV for all the pumps etc. The 6.35 tonnes of firewood wood we burn is 0.45 tCO2. We are thinking about what we can do to improve this dependance on wood: Four ideas:

1. an electric air/air heat pump in the living space
2. a small cookstove in the living space
3. a masonry heater in the living space
4. a tiny wood stove in the main living area (circle room)

All of the changes would result in amortized cost savings, more resilience, AND lower impacts overall.

For us doing more helps with our sanity dealing with the crisis. Plus it’s a challenge and we feel much more resilient not being so dependant on a system that creates such harm. There’s sanity in reducing impact. That’s the big motivator.

Happy New Years Everyone…Lets build local resilience together. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Referendum: As we near the deadline (Nov 30th) for filling out and returning ballots to the Province for the referendum on Proportional Representation, I shudder at what I have witnessed. Beyond the two sides of the campaign there has been, at least for me, an interesting observation. This has become a referendum on critical engagement and emotional fear.

There is the Pro Proportional Representation side (ProPR), and the Anti-Proportional Representation side (AntiPR). The ProPR side is tasked with informing about the differences between PR and FPTP; secondly they are sharing information on three PR systems; and lastly they are proposing change and we all know who loves change. WE DO!!!

Gord filling out his mail in ProPR ballot

The AntiPR side does have the easier job as it is the no change “incumbent” system, and they do not need to inform and educate, and therefore can just focus on the emotional aspects of change or even worse, create fear. They just need to create noise and give the idea that’s it’s too confusing for us simply minded folks to get our heads around. I liken it to the way any lobby group challenges its opponents by creating doubt (e.g. tobacco lobby, climate denial lobby). I witnessed this with the debate between Mr. Horgan and Mr. Wilkinson, which was nothing more than a heckle fest, in which the “noise” allowed no room for debate – (Shame on the weak moderators for doing a poor job…maybe this was their plan?).

Ann filling out her mail in ProPR ballot

Ann and I, for those who know us, recognize we are creatures of ration (I think Gord is trying to say “Rational Creatures”?), we are generally not political party types but more policy and ideas focused, and rely on information to inform our opinions. Basically we are a household comprised of a female Spock and a male Data, with humour (you choose who has the humour). Ann often argues that since she has the higher IQ (by 2 points), that she must be funnier due to the correlation between humour and intelligence. Anyways, what we have witnessed is a population that has been told they are not capable of critically thinking about such items as governance (or I guess humour if the correlation is correct). Therefore if they are not capable, not smart enough, they should not attempt to try. No joke. Here’s some bad humour…imagine this was our ballot about PR:

Which do you prefer? 1) ice cream2) a kick in the balls

Do you prefer ice cream in: 1) waffle cone2) regular cone3) cup

Voters against #PR4BC response: “what’s the cone size? Is the cup biodegradable? Too many unknowns, I’ll just take a kick in the balls”

There is nothing more infuriating than someone else telling me what I can and cannot understand. I can guarantee you that this task of seeking info and informing myself was by no means a hard or challenging process, but it did consume about 1 hour of my time over three weeks.

FPTP – a waning archaic system

Yes it is a historical system that has been in use for a long time, and it is clear that there are only three democracies remaining that still use this (Canada, US, Britain), and the other 84 democracies have shifted to proportional representation of one form or another, many over 50 years ago. Many would rightly argue that the US is not actually a democracy.

Is FPTP representative of the population? If you had a two party system, as we historically did, then yes. The US still has pretty much a 2 party system, and we can see how well it works to keep out extremists. (heavy sarcasm and eye rolling). Nothing to look at here folks… move along.

Do we generally have a 2 party system here in Canada, in BC? Of course not, we have a diverse population, with diverse opinions, and generally the views and values that differentiate the parties comes down to differences around social, environmental, religious, resource extraction, economic, and science perspectives.

The wasted energy of negativity compared to the positive results of collaboration

I have little respect for party politics based on towing a party line or even the whole idea of opposition. In contrast, take our own Highlands Municipal Council. We all come to the table with diverse opinions and through collaboration, listening, and respectful dialogue, we come to a decision on a topic…often consensus. It has lead to our community becoming ranked the top Municipality in BC (of 152) in regard to being the most efficient in per capita expenditures, despite having a strengthening of environmental initiatives.

The present system of FPTP has led to polarized and adversarial politics, where many citizens feel unrepresented, disengaged, and end up holding their nose to vote against what they don’t want and not for what they do want…if they vote at all. Would I vote for anything other than a Donald Trump or Doug Ford… damn straight I would. This is fundamentally wrong. It wastes time and energy, and creates disenfranchisement amongst voters based on negative responses. I would rather vote for what I do want, and feel part of the solution.

The other wasted energy I see from the increasingly polarized politics is the pendulum swing of policies – swings that create uncertainty in the economy as policies rapidly change. FPTP is not the system in this day and age to create certainty. Again we can look to Brexit, US Canada relations, and environmental policies in all countries using FPTP – stability is not there. Fear of the “other side” is there. The US exemplifies this with unbelievable clarity as two parties stagnate governance and embroil the country into a virtual civil war where even families are crumbling because of diametrically opposed views. We literally are watching a FPTP system transform into a fascist regime.

How does any one of the three ProPR systems address this? It would enable a broader range of views and values as exist across our Province. True representation lends to less majority governments, and hence more collaboration and communication. As Ann recently said about the PR system, “Minorities are not directing the majority…collaboration is. Think teamwork.” Does it mean policies may be slower or less dramatic in their swings from left to right, from rational to emotional? Sure. Is this good? I think so. At this moment in time we need more stability, cooperation and trust to address the climate crisis, and we need to stop the radicalization in politics and culture or Canada will follow shortly behind the US…as Ontario already has.

We implore you to cozy-up to that emotional anxiety of change, put it into perspective, fact check the claims that Bill Teilman (lobbyist/political consultant) and those supporting the status quo are pushing. Are they providing factual information or are they stimulating your reptilian fear brain by pushing an emotional argument? Who will benefit from keeping FPTP? Follow the money.

It’s probably no secret that we both voted for PR. What many people may NOT know, it that if you don’t have the hour to research and decide which of the 3 PR systems you like best, you can leave that question blank. It’s ok to do that.
DEADLINE: Your ballot must be received by November 30th, 2018.

Presentation: ‘Food Forests – an ecological approach to planting for the future.’ Presented by Gord Baird of Eco-sense Nursery

*Thanks to the Highlands Community Garden Group for organizing this FREE event*

Sunday, October 14th 10:00 – 12:30 at the Highlands Community Hall. 729 Finlayson Arm Rd (adjacent to the community garden)

Gord Baird, Highland resident and council member, will be presenting a workshop on the design, goals and benefits of food forests and their importance in climate change adaptation and food resiliency. The information provided will be useful for home gardeners and will guide our ongoing development of the food forest at the Community Garden. Information on plants suitable for Highlands eco systems will be provided.

Gord has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the design and development of food forests including his own at Eco-sense and with the City of Colwood. We are excited to be able to offer this free workshop through an Edible Tree grant awarded to the Highlands Community Garden by Tree Canada.

The workshop is open to all District and regional residents, free of charge. Please pass the word on to anyone with an interest in growing food locally and building food security.